Soto Ayam Indonesian Clear Chicken Soup Food

INDONESIAN CHICKEN SOUP WITH NOODLES, TURMERIC AND GINGER (SOTO AYAM)

Steps:

• Place chicken in a medium pot with lemongrass, lime leaves (if using), salt and 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes, skimming as needed to make a clear broth. Remove chicken pieces from broth and set aside. Remove and discard lemon grass and lime leaves; reserve stock in pot. When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and shred meat into bite-size pieces.
• Meanwhile, combine peppercorns, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small food processor. Pulse until ground. Add halved shallots, garlic, turmeric and ginger and pulse to a thick paste. (Add a little water if needed.)
• Heat peanut oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. When very hot, add spice paste and cook, stirring until paste is cooked and beginning to separate from the oil, about 5 minutes.
• Add cooked spice paste and chicken meat to stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
• Cook noodles according to package directions.
• Turn off heat under soup and stir in lime juice. Taste for salt.
• To serve, divide noodles in large soup bowls. Ladle chicken pieces and soup on top and sprinkle with celery leaves or herbs, and fried shallots, if using. Pass lime and sambal at the table.
• Eat from soup bowl, or serve a scoop of rice on a side plate, sprinkled with more shallots, and put a mouthful of noodles and chicken on rice. Combine on a spoon, dab with sambal, and eat.

INDONESIAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP (SOTO AYAM)

Steps:

• Put the chicken, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer gently until the chicken is soft. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and remove the flesh from the bones, shredding it finely by hand. Put back into chicken stock.
• Prepare seasoning paste by processing all ingredients listed below seasoning paste. Add a little of the oil if needed to keep the mixture turning.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan with a heavy base, then add the seasoning paste and stir-fry over low-medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved chicken stock with the chicken pieces and bring to the boil. Add the coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves, then bring gently to the boil, stirring. Taste and add a little chicken stock powder if desired. Simmer with the pan uncovered for 5 minutes.
• In between, slice the 2 shallots very thinly and evenly. Heat enough vegetable oil to cover the shallots. When it is just warm, not hot, add the sliced shallots and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown and crisp. It is important to keep the temperature low otherwise the shallots will brown before they are cooked. The process may take around 8 minutes. Lift out and dry on paper towel. The flavoured oil can be kept for frying or used as a seasoning oil.
• To serve, divide the noodles between four large bowls and pour the chicken stock over. Divide the sliced potatoes, egg quarters, bean sprouts, chopped coriander and crispy shallots.
• Serve with a lime wedge and put a small dish of sambal oelek onto the table, so that your guests can spice up the dish if desired.

SOTO AYAM (INDONESIAN CLEAR CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine garlic, sliced shallots, macadamia nuts, galangal, and turmeric.
• Process mixture to a paste, scraping container sides as needed. (Or chop ingredients with a knife, then whirl in a blender to a paste.).
• In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir the paste and the oil until mixture barely begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in broth, cover, and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, trim stem end and any tough leaves off lemon grass and pull off coarse outer layer.
• Crush stalk with the back of a knife, then cut into 3-inch pieces.
• Add to broth.
• Add chicken breasts to broth.
• Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the breasts are no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 15 to 20 minutes.
• Lift out chicken and let cool at least 10 minutes.
• Skim fat from broth. (Or if making ahead, cover and chill the broth and the chicken separately. Lift off and discard fat from the chilled broth.).
• In a bowl, pour 5 cups hot water over bean thread noodles.
• Let stand until the noodles are tender to bite, about 5 minutes; drain.
• If desired, snip through noodles with scissors to make shorter strands.
• Season broth with salt and pepper to taste.
• Return to a boil over high heat.
• Tear the chicken into shreds.
• In individual small bowls, mound shredded chicken, bean thread noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro, egg wedges, potato chips, fried shallots, lime wedges, and chili sambal.
• Pour hot broth into a tureen or pitcher.
• Place desired portions of the chicken, noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and eggs in wide bowls.
• Ladle or pour hot broth into bowls.
• Sprinkle with potato chips and fried shallots.
• Add juice from lime wedges, chili sambal, and more salt and pepper to taste.